Sad to see the broken Eugenio C (Big Red Boat) being broken up in the background of the picture in that link. So Sad! I never want to see the Norway like that, I aint giving up yet!
On a more somber, and slightly off-topic note, though... NCL has contracted with Aker yards of France (Chantiers de l'Atlantique) for 3 newbuilds @ 150,000 tons each.
...and I know that it's a matter of opinion and personal perspective, so feel free to differ with me... but the "out with the old, in with the new" comments by Star CEO and C. Veitch in the latter part of the article just make me queasy...
... what happened to the comments by the Star CEO at the Pride of Hawaii christening earlier this spring that the SSUS refurb was next on the list?? I'm sure corporate decision-making changes over time, but it just makes me feel that NCL/Star make up stories that are "convenient" at the time. (e.g., when standing with Senator Inouye on US soil, paying "lip service" to the historic hulls that helped make NCLA a reality).
After reading that article you posted, I'm further convinced that the SSUS and Independence are on NCL's scrapping list. Unlike the people of France, I'd like to see the citizens United States Of America get off their asses and help preserve the SS United States, should she be assigned "scrap status." Here's a ship with our country's name on her, originally owned by a company also with our country's name. Are we going to let the rest of the world see us ignore such a symbol ?? Okay...stepping down off soapbox now.
"Commenting on the order, Tan Sri K T Lim, chairman of NCL and Star Cruises, said: "This order, placed in NCL's 40th anniversary year, marks the culmination of our plans to transform this great company. By 2010 there will be almost nothing left of the NCL we bought in 2000 except the name and the people"
With all of the events surounding the SS Norway, I doubted that NCL/Star ever had any intentions of rebuilding the Big U for a tune of $1 Billion? Why do that when you could build a brand new cruise ship?
$400 Million is enough to restore her to her 1952 Glory. They could have used this option and make her into a hotel/museum ship like the Queen Mary for their Ships coming and going. I am sure that they would have seen a return of their investment. Too bad they didn't see it that way.
The saga of the SS Norway revealed NCL/Star's true intention for the Big U and Indy. This is a very serious wakeup call.
Whether or not the Norway is saved, we should definately form a campaign to save the Big U before it's too late. Maybe another US/Arab consortium could be created to look into the idea of buying the Big U and restoring her as a hotel/museum ship in NYC.
I am no longer confident that the Big U or the Indy will be around much longer under NCL.
Also, with the intention of building at least 3 maga cruiseship, the idea of Star Cruises selling off NCL to MCN is out the window!
Dan Lague
Posts: 345 | Location: Florida | Registered: May 16, 2006
..."The largest order in the line's history"!!! So much for refurbing the SSUS and Indy (as if I was holding my breath!)
Project name "F3" .....
As in F*** the Norway, F*** the Big-U, and F*** the Indy
And how sad is it, the irony of it, that Chantiers de l'Atlantique , which gave us the beautiful SS FRANCE, now gets an order for her so-called replacements. Cattle boats decorated with ribbons and pearls.
Posts: 265 | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA | Registered: February 06, 2006
They were the guys who built the QM 2 so at least if persuaded they may add some style to the shoe box market. I saw the building on Discovery a while back and the marine engineer in charge was describing the process of designing. The bow of the QE2, the foredeck of the Normandie with the forward structure based on a closed in version of Queen Elizabeth. They also mentioned that they bolted on the fog horn from the Queen Mary too!
I'd sooner see a GT 40 than a Focus but if we there's not much choice a Ford GT at least it has some style.
